Why don't tulips flop any more?

I have had bunches that have drooped and agreed with you they look lovely then. Like my very own Old Dutch Master still life. Not had any that haven't drooped.
My Mum who was into flower arranging used to wrap them in damp newspaper, soak them overnight under the sink (cool place) and used to pierce them with a fine sewing needle at the top of the stem to stop them drooping which seemed to work.
Think some bright spark might have developed a non droop variety not realising that some of us like the droop?

This has been on my sitting room wall for many years. I just love it. It is bright in here this morning so it looks rather faded.Is this the effect you like?

I visited a friend the other day and she had a vase of beautiful tulips and she threw away all the droopy ones! ? ...

beautiful picture Annsixty...

I love droopy tulips - there's something so olde worlde about them, a sort of cottage garden feel. I especially love those bunches of 'rainbow' tulips. Well that's it, I'm going to have to buy some now!

Ann that is a really lovely painting.
this is a good question about tulips, and I have noticed it too! DH always dislikes the tulips when they do this, but I love it.The few bunches I have bought this year have not drooped at all, so maybe this lovely look has gone now.We could try putting them in a vase with lower sides I guess? Next year I will cut some of the tulips in the garden and bring them indoors and see if they do this.

My flopping tulips don't look nice and artistic at all; they just look like tulips feeling very sorry for themselves. So I prick them with a pin just below the flower head and they stand up stright just like they do in the garden. If someone has devised varieties which stand up without the pricking I am very thankful as it is a bl**dy fiddly job

Cruelty to tulips!

Now that gives me an idea "So I prick them with a pin just below the flower head and they stand up straight"

G&Tea Norty!!

Do tulips flop at a certain stage whne they are still growing in soil? I grew some very successfully in Edinburgh thirty years ago but I haven't had any in my garden since then. Well... I had some in my current garden that flowered but deer ate them before they had a chance to flop.

I can't remember whether the Edinburgh ones ever flopped.

No, all our tulips stay straight, unless wind/ rain push them over.

So they are just saying they don't take to being cut flowers much then? Though, I agree, they can look nice all floppy. My fave combination with tulips is purple irises and white tulips.

I think it's another EU directive...

I can imagine that with pink tulips, a nice combo.Only 3 of our irises have come up recently, and we usually have about 20 in the clump!

I blame that on the EU as well!

I tend to stick a pin through the stem about an inch from the bottom of the stem to encourage them to stay upright longer.

I'm puzzled about these pins. Haven't heard of this practice before. Is the pin stuck horizontally through the stem, mumofmad?

And, MaizieD, do you just make a small hole with a pin in the flower stem just under the flower head? What's the theory behind this? I mean, how does is it supposed to have the effect you mention?

Does it work on roses?

Me?

Actually, it may only be hollow stemmed flowers it works on?

roses It took a few seconds for that to sink in!

Yesbut, why does it work? Does anyone know? Does it improve the capillary action of hollow stems, perhaps?

Air bubble gets in when the stem is cut and forms an airlock? Pinhole lets air out so that water can rise up and keep the stem rigid?